No journey of any achiever has been smooth and easy. Never. But the trick was to have learnt the lessons from peers and build on them. My growth from a small town to the present is an exciting narrative.

Life has brought numerous setbacks. However, over a period of time, I realized that failing is normal. People get stressed and give up after a failure. If someone falls, he should get up and walk again. I do not judge people because of their past failures. One’s strengths and weaknesses may be at par.  But if his strength is built upon, his weaknesses will become smaller in comparison. I believe in helping others and not judging them based on past failures.

I realized very early that life is more than just having a good job. I also felt the need to take healthcare in this country to a different level and there are very few people who can do it. I truly felt drawn to this cause. So once that realization dawned on me, money and position ceased to matter anymore. What mattered was whether I could create more facilities for people to get trained in to deliver better healthcare, and patients to get treated in, and for the last two decades, I have dedicated myself to improving healthcare in the country by doing just that. I invested in freshers, groomed them, and brought them to very senior leadership positions.

In healthcare, ethical issues arise frequently, especially when a patient’s life is at stake. Counseling families based on medical inputs is crucial. My priority is the patient, followed by the immediate family and those serving the patient. The outcome is never in our hands. If I get desirable results, I’m happy. When I don’t, I’m not disturbed.

The rewarding moments in healthcare motivate me, especially when successfully treating and bringing a smile to someone’s face.

A healthcare leader’s purpose should be serving others, not just earning money or seeking promotions. Patient satisfaction is the ultimate target for healthcare leadership.

However, the biggest challenge of building a hospital is funding. Knowledge is not difficult to acquire. Getting funds has been made easy through loan and equity, but that comes at a high cost which keeps pushing the healthcare price up. A hospital’s needs are huge. So we need to really look at how one can blend the cost with the outcome of keeping it affordable.

The pressure to be profitable is creating a huge stress in the workforce, especially between quality and cost. Quality comes at a cost. External funding puts more pressure to become profitable soon. One needs to blend affordability, quality, comfort and delivery for a successful healthcare venture.

What drives me is the Passion to Serve! Every scripture has taught us to serve others; that Life is to give, and that the best human is the one who lives for others. I have experienced this first-hand. If I have reached this far, it is because so many people helped me in my journey. I also need to help millions more reaching their mission.

A healthcare leader needs to identify the purpose of his work. If the purpose is to earn money or get promotions, then he is in the wrong profession. A healthcare leader’s purpose in life should be to serve others. Target should not be the revenue; target is not about numbers. Target should be the supply system and comfort level and happiness of the patient. That’s healthcare leadership!